Turkish culture and tourism office reviews ad business

The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism is reviewing its global advertising account, thought to be worth up to £60m.

The government body, which reviews the business on an annual basis, is seeking an agency to develop campaigns for key tourist markets that will fit into its promotional/marketing strategy.

A tender document is expected to be issued later this week and the pitch will be handled by the Turkish Culture Office in Berlin.

The account is currently held by Istanbul-based Dream Design Factory (DDF). The agency held the account for five years after winning it in 2000 but lost it in 2005 to New York-based agency Wunderman (MW November 24, 2005).

Wunderman handled the business for just a year be-fore it moved to Dusseldorf-based agency SEA, a subsidiary of marketing group Media Square, in 2007. Last year, DDF won the account back and is expected to repitch for the business.

The Turkish Culture and Tourism Office has a spend of over £3m in the UK every year. The media planning and buying account is held by Bygraves Bushell Valladares & Sheldon, which is not thought to be affected by the review.

Turkey is keen to develop its tourism industry and last year unveiled a new strategy, outlining its plans for the industry until 2023. The country is investing money to develop its tourist infrastructure and wants to attract 63 million visitors a year by 2023, generating an income of $86bn.

This year, the body has set itself the target of boosting tourist numbers from 20 million to 25 million. In February it appointed Irfan Onal as new director for the UK and Ireland.